Some time ago I posted regarding frustrations due to the lack of progress on education, health and souls.
I have plenty to say, but little time right now to expound. Subsequently, I have decided to re-post Bill Maher's "New Rules" from May 29, 2009.
Please take 7 minutes out of your day, fix a Mojito, and watch the following clip. It is beyond time for change in the United States. Below the video I have posted a link to "On Education, Health and Souls Part 1." Peace, Searchers...
Actually, I think I'll just paste the previous post...much love!
ON EDUCATION, HEALTH AND SOULS, PART 1
Trying to put the anger aside that has motivated me on several of my previous posts, I am exploring how I feel about this country, and its people.
There is something to be said about the soul of a country when that country makes taking care of one another a priority.It seems to me that priorities of a nation reveals its true nature; its soul.What does it say about the US that children don't have health coverage and we twice elected a President that doesn't want health care for a certain group of children?
What would Jesus do?
What does it say about the US when young college students enter the workforce thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, and older college students those that are in their late 20's, early 30's and beyond to have to start sinking themselves into massive debt at a later age?
And from the perspective of a student/worker with his wife still in school and struggling to make ends meet, to have to go begging for help, feeling demeaned, with all of the resources in the US, instead of that help and support already there as a basic right. I believe healthcare and education are basic rights.
And the United Nation agrees:
Article 25 of the United Nation Declaration of Human Rights:
1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control
And from Article 26:
(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit
Why do I care what the UN has to think? Because the United States signed it.
A single woman in Arkansas shouldn't have to worry about losing her home, working two or three crappy jobs to support herself, all the while wanting to go school (in a state with almost no services, or sympathy) to improve herself any more than a father in Washington should have to worry about milk for his son, or tuition for his wife or himself. To have to choose between groceries and electricity or rent/house payment and education in the United States of America in 2008 is obscene.
Equally obscene is the tendency of some to label the woman in Arkansas, or the man in Washington as lazy, or dumb, or deserving.
What would Jesus do?
The right wing has done a great job in feeding the nation the idea that the poor are fully responsible for their plight.Ditto for the brainwashing that cutting social services and education is somehow going to magically force the poor into the middle class.
What does it say about a country when you look at a map of the states red/blue, states like Arkansas, Alabama, Texas, these states of the Bible Belt where Obama is getting hammered, yet McCain and Palin have proven themselves to be frauds and liars, and people are still supporting them.Even if it goes against their personal interests.Amazing.
We need people in office that have the interests of the people at heart. It is time to bring back our social programs, shore up our infrastructure, and provide education for all. The only way to remain strong as a nation is to invest in the people. Period.
We need a systemic change in the United States.
Peace-Mike
Showing posts with label bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bible. Show all posts
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
NEWSFLASH REAGEANITES! "TRICKLEDOWN" ECONOMICS DOESN'T WORK!!
Wow. What a week. This is an identity crisis, an ideological abortion if you will, for the free market Capitalists.
Ya know, I was raised by staunch Republicans. I remember my mother getting pissed as hell when I brought up a commercial during the campaign season of 1979/80 that suggested Ronald Reagan did nothing for California. I was just a kid then, so I didn't thoroughly comprehend the enormity of the situation.
Reagan ushered in a new era of deregulation and free market free for all that could afford it, with the backing and advice of the Nobel winner Milton Freidman.
What a nightmare. The United States is facing a socioeconomic crisis akin to what other nations have faced in the past, largely with the pressure from the US, the World Bank, and the WTO. It is time to wake up, fellow citizens of the United States-the greed and disdain for your fellow American comes with a price.
I compared the current situation on Wall Street to a Heroin addict needing another shot.
One could arguably apply the analogy of the Alcoholic and hangovers to the current situation. This free market unfettered Capitalism has resulted in a drunken free for all by the right wing, the Christian right, and big business. And now the headache and shakes are kicking in.
Let's throw out the principles of the past 30 years.
Yes I know it's gonna hurt, and your chest is going to feel like it's being ripped open, but that's what happens when your ideology is proven to be a joke. Kinda like the way reality came crashing down to me when I realized right wing Christianity was actually completely antithetical to Jesus actual teaching.
I cannot purport to be an expert in Jesus' thought, but just by skimming over the New Testament one can discern that Jesus was not a Capitalist. In fact, he advocated social justice and welfare, something that is denied by the Right wing Christians. He even advocated paying taxes. You see, he's a lot smarter than the dumbass rednecks that have hijacked the Republican party and injected their Klan-like (yes I said Klan, AGAIN) Christianity in the public discourse.
(Sidebar-I voted Republican/Right wing Christian for the past 21 years, but I am going to rectify this and do my penance for the rest of my life. I apologize.)
The only good thing that has come out of the past 30 year nightmare that we've been dealing with is the realization that Ronald Reagan's policies and that of the Right have utterly failed. And I mean failed. Hello? Are you listening? UTTERLY FUCKING FAILED.
I'm not necessarily happy about the situation, but you have to admit with the nationalization of AIG and Freddy and Fannie, there is a sort of poetic justice...
We need a systemic change in the United States, as well as an impeachment trial for that piece of shit Cheney and George Bush. Let's put them in prison. I know I'm going to get flack for this, but Saddam Hussein was a bigger man than George Bush or Dick Cheney, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft,(fucking Ashcroft what a dink), Gonzales, etc. Can you imagine GWB going to the gallows? He'd have a heart attack before the rope could be put around his neck, and his utter disbelief at the situation would put him down before the executioner could do his job. (I remember his daddy, GHW Bush-"I'm the president of the United States! I'm not going to eat any goddamn broccoli!") What a joke. Let's wake up, A-merry-ca, and lets throw out these right wing pieces of crap with their disdain for their fellow countrymen and women and make sure they cannot harm the country any longer, and make sure they have no pension, health insurance, or life insurance, or any of the socialistic perks they have enjoyed while they vote against the same for me, my family, and yours.
Peace and love, Searchers, we are standing on the cusp of history, let's not fuck it up.
Ya know, I was raised by staunch Republicans. I remember my mother getting pissed as hell when I brought up a commercial during the campaign season of 1979/80 that suggested Ronald Reagan did nothing for California. I was just a kid then, so I didn't thoroughly comprehend the enormity of the situation.
Reagan ushered in a new era of deregulation and free market free for all that could afford it, with the backing and advice of the Nobel winner Milton Freidman.
What a nightmare. The United States is facing a socioeconomic crisis akin to what other nations have faced in the past, largely with the pressure from the US, the World Bank, and the WTO. It is time to wake up, fellow citizens of the United States-the greed and disdain for your fellow American comes with a price.
I compared the current situation on Wall Street to a Heroin addict needing another shot.
One could arguably apply the analogy of the Alcoholic and hangovers to the current situation. This free market unfettered Capitalism has resulted in a drunken free for all by the right wing, the Christian right, and big business. And now the headache and shakes are kicking in.
Let's throw out the principles of the past 30 years.
Yes I know it's gonna hurt, and your chest is going to feel like it's being ripped open, but that's what happens when your ideology is proven to be a joke. Kinda like the way reality came crashing down to me when I realized right wing Christianity was actually completely antithetical to Jesus actual teaching.
I cannot purport to be an expert in Jesus' thought, but just by skimming over the New Testament one can discern that Jesus was not a Capitalist. In fact, he advocated social justice and welfare, something that is denied by the Right wing Christians. He even advocated paying taxes. You see, he's a lot smarter than the dumbass rednecks that have hijacked the Republican party and injected their Klan-like (yes I said Klan, AGAIN) Christianity in the public discourse.
(Sidebar-I voted Republican/Right wing Christian for the past 21 years, but I am going to rectify this and do my penance for the rest of my life. I apologize.)
The only good thing that has come out of the past 30 year nightmare that we've been dealing with is the realization that Ronald Reagan's policies and that of the Right have utterly failed. And I mean failed. Hello? Are you listening? UTTERLY FUCKING FAILED.
I'm not necessarily happy about the situation, but you have to admit with the nationalization of AIG and Freddy and Fannie, there is a sort of poetic justice...
We need a systemic change in the United States, as well as an impeachment trial for that piece of shit Cheney and George Bush. Let's put them in prison. I know I'm going to get flack for this, but Saddam Hussein was a bigger man than George Bush or Dick Cheney, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft,(fucking Ashcroft what a dink), Gonzales, etc. Can you imagine GWB going to the gallows? He'd have a heart attack before the rope could be put around his neck, and his utter disbelief at the situation would put him down before the executioner could do his job. (I remember his daddy, GHW Bush-"I'm the president of the United States! I'm not going to eat any goddamn broccoli!") What a joke. Let's wake up, A-merry-ca, and lets throw out these right wing pieces of crap with their disdain for their fellow countrymen and women and make sure they cannot harm the country any longer, and make sure they have no pension, health insurance, or life insurance, or any of the socialistic perks they have enjoyed while they vote against the same for me, my family, and yours.
Peace and love, Searchers, we are standing on the cusp of history, let's not fuck it up.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
REGARDING CHRISTIAN FASCISM IN THE U.S.
An excerpt from a post on Dissident Voice:
In 2001 Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was passed with support of the Democrats. Behind the empty rhetoric about achieving “high standards,” “world class education,” and “closing the achievement gap,” NCLB is just standardized testing—with severe punishments instead of help if test scores don’t improve. Schools not showing progress over time are first required to pay for private outside consultants. Continued lack of progress leads to being forced to totally contract out education to private enterprises. Schools in the middle class are not targeted because this only applies to schools with very low test scores.
"NCLB was passed in a context of a decades-long process of undermining the legitimacy of public schools, the development and funding of alternative schools, and the creation of models for a new kind of privatized public school. Reagan’s education program was “bring God back into the classroom” and government-funded school voucher programs. School vouchers give government funds to parents who want to put their children in private, and in particular religious, schools—popular among the growing Christian fundamentalist forces at the time."
This is the ugly reality of the urban cores of this country, and the schools that serve them. It is producing a massive section of youth, seething with anger, who have been written off by this system, told “there’s nothing here for you,” and then shoved into the prisons at world record rates. It is an international embarrassment for this imperialist power claiming to be the model for the world, and it’s an outrage to sections of the middle class who are coming to know about it. And under certain conditions it can become extremely explosive, as was revealed by the ’92 L.A. rebellion. This is a critical concern of those driving the transformation and privatization of the school system.
It is clear that the right wing has no plan to help and lift up anyone that is outside of their race, economic sphere, religious beliefs, etc:
In fact, I assert and I openly accuse the right wing and the American church:
You are responsible for the massive incarceration rates in the US largely because of laziness, hate, contempt, and the utter rejection of Jesus' teachings for anyone white, black, latin, native, poor, or otherwise that does not conform to your christian ideological worldview.
I am well aware of the common thought among Evangelicals: Convert And Believe Or Get Left Behind.
In all ways.
Enough of state sanctioned religious teaching. Unfortunately, while Ronald Reagan was advocating state sponsored specific Christian training and declaring 1982 as the "Year of the Bible," he was conducting a ruthless terror war in Central America resulting in the deaths of a huge quantity of people while he was funneling American dollars to fund terrorists.
This, my friends, is Christian Fascism and it has been adopted by an enormous amount of people that believe they are on a "mission from God" and it must be stopped.
It is time for a systemic change in the United States.
Peace-
PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST HERE.
In 2001 Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was passed with support of the Democrats. Behind the empty rhetoric about achieving “high standards,” “world class education,” and “closing the achievement gap,” NCLB is just standardized testing—with severe punishments instead of help if test scores don’t improve. Schools not showing progress over time are first required to pay for private outside consultants. Continued lack of progress leads to being forced to totally contract out education to private enterprises. Schools in the middle class are not targeted because this only applies to schools with very low test scores.
"NCLB was passed in a context of a decades-long process of undermining the legitimacy of public schools, the development and funding of alternative schools, and the creation of models for a new kind of privatized public school. Reagan’s education program was “bring God back into the classroom” and government-funded school voucher programs. School vouchers give government funds to parents who want to put their children in private, and in particular religious, schools—popular among the growing Christian fundamentalist forces at the time."
This is the ugly reality of the urban cores of this country, and the schools that serve them. It is producing a massive section of youth, seething with anger, who have been written off by this system, told “there’s nothing here for you,” and then shoved into the prisons at world record rates. It is an international embarrassment for this imperialist power claiming to be the model for the world, and it’s an outrage to sections of the middle class who are coming to know about it. And under certain conditions it can become extremely explosive, as was revealed by the ’92 L.A. rebellion. This is a critical concern of those driving the transformation and privatization of the school system.
It is clear that the right wing has no plan to help and lift up anyone that is outside of their race, economic sphere, religious beliefs, etc:
In fact, I assert and I openly accuse the right wing and the American church:
You are responsible for the massive incarceration rates in the US largely because of laziness, hate, contempt, and the utter rejection of Jesus' teachings for anyone white, black, latin, native, poor, or otherwise that does not conform to your christian ideological worldview.
In addition, you have put Jesus Christ in the backseat to further your "visions" "words of knowldge" and "ministries" in clear violation of Jesus teaching.
You have contempt for the poor in America.
You advocate war against Islam.
You advocate war against Immigrants.
Just the fact that you advocate war, Church, is contra to the teaching of Jesus Christ.
Indocrinate, Incarcerate, Subjugate, Exterminate. That is the American Christian Worldview.
I call for all churches in the United States to either cease from demanding political obedience from their congregants or immediately commence paying taxes.
I am well aware of the common thought among Evangelicals: Convert And Believe Or Get Left Behind.
In all ways.
Enough of state sanctioned religious teaching. Unfortunately, while Ronald Reagan was advocating state sponsored specific Christian training and declaring 1982 as the "Year of the Bible," he was conducting a ruthless terror war in Central America resulting in the deaths of a huge quantity of people while he was funneling American dollars to fund terrorists.
This, my friends, is Christian Fascism and it has been adopted by an enormous amount of people that believe they are on a "mission from God" and it must be stopped.
I will also challenge you, Church: Prove to me that your ideas aren't anything more than recycled Ku Klux Klan material repackaged and sanitized for the white masses to swallow, as well as anyone else gullible enough to take that spoonful of hate. Are you listening Alberto Gonzales?
It is time for a systemic change in the United States.
Peace-
Friday, September 26, 2008
EFFIGY OF OBAMA HUNG AT CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY IN OREGON
NEWS-
Early Tuesday morning, workers found an effigy of Barack Obama hanging from a tree on a university campus outside Portland, OR.
According to the article, a sign was attached to the Obama effigy disparaging students that are recipients of scholarships, largely minority students:
" A sign taped to the cutout said, "Act Six reject," referring to a scholarship program for Portland students, many of whom are minorities."
(thanks to Oregonlive.com)
If the link works, here is the write up on Oregonlive.com.
As many of you know, I have posted in the past about the white American church, and the evangelical movement.
Unfortunately, I cannot say much more than this:
This type of behavior is indicative of the deep racial bias that the white American church, (especially right wing Republicans and conservative Democratic Evangelical churches) harbors in the United States against Blacks and minorities.
The fact that this effigy was hung on a tree at a predominantly white Christian university and not the much larger and more diverse campus of Portland State University speaks whole volumes about the state of the church in the United States, as well as the values that are being taught to the up and coming people in the Evangelical Movement.
Many in the Evangelical movement do not see a problem if the US decides to wage war against another nation.
Many in the Evangelical Movement advocate violence against people that do not accept their belief structure, or their doctrines as they interpret in the Bible.
Many in the Evangelical Movement assume people in lower social strata than themselves have been saddled with a "generational curse" or somehow deserve their misfortune.
Many in the Evangelical Movement believe this especially applies to people of African descent in the United States. It is openly taught that Blacks descend from Ham, and Ham was cursed. It is also taught that their ancestors worshipped demons, animals, etc., (the obvious point being that they didn't worship Jesus and embrace the doctine of the Christian Church. This is a common ploy used to keep the gullible under control, as it is taught in the context of: "THIS COULD HAPPEN TO YOU!!!") and this has saddled the Black American with "generational curses."
I spoke with a fellow student (and graduate of Rhema! Bible College in the Tulsa, OK area) at my college today, and I related that I had heard through news reports, etc., that Sarah Plain believed the world is five thousand years old and man walked with the dinosaurs, despite there being no scientific evidence to support her assertions. His response? "What's wrong with that?"
(Rhema! is a very influential Evangelical Charismatic church/organization that has influenced millions of people worldwide throughout the past 60 years or so with the ministry of Kenneth E Hagin, and his son, Kenneth W. Hagin)
This is indicative of the nonsense that is taught at Evangelical bible colleges throughout the United States.
And we were worried about madrases in Pakistan!?!
_________________________________________________________________
Those that tried to murder me and advocate the hate crimes against me and my family are devout evangelical Methodists. Samuel Christian Flanagin, Arkansas State Representative Pat Flanagin, Dora Hughes, Pat Flanagin, Jr., and their cohorts in and around the state of Arkansas continually invoke the name of Jesus to justify their crimes while referring to the victims of their hate as "niggers."
When Edward Abbey declared-"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the [US] flag and carrying a cross." He might have been envisioning the point in time we could be at today.
Clearly, Christian Fascism has to be defeated in the United States.
Clearly, people do not realize how large and deeply rooted the problem is.
This is still the Klan operating, albeit sanitized, and it is running strong in the white Evangelical church in the United States.
Clearly, we need a systemic change n the United States.
Peace-
Early Tuesday morning, workers found an effigy of Barack Obama hanging from a tree on a university campus outside Portland, OR.
According to the article, a sign was attached to the Obama effigy disparaging students that are recipients of scholarships, largely minority students:
" A sign taped to the cutout said, "Act Six reject," referring to a scholarship program for Portland students, many of whom are minorities."
(thanks to Oregonlive.com)
If the link works, here is the write up on Oregonlive.com.
As many of you know, I have posted in the past about the white American church, and the evangelical movement.
Unfortunately, I cannot say much more than this:
This type of behavior is indicative of the deep racial bias that the white American church, (especially right wing Republicans and conservative Democratic Evangelical churches) harbors in the United States against Blacks and minorities.
The fact that this effigy was hung on a tree at a predominantly white Christian university and not the much larger and more diverse campus of Portland State University speaks whole volumes about the state of the church in the United States, as well as the values that are being taught to the up and coming people in the Evangelical Movement.
Many in the Evangelical movement do not see a problem if the US decides to wage war against another nation.
Many in the Evangelical Movement advocate violence against people that do not accept their belief structure, or their doctrines as they interpret in the Bible.
Many in the Evangelical Movement assume people in lower social strata than themselves have been saddled with a "generational curse" or somehow deserve their misfortune.
Many in the Evangelical Movement believe this especially applies to people of African descent in the United States. It is openly taught that Blacks descend from Ham, and Ham was cursed. It is also taught that their ancestors worshipped demons, animals, etc., (the obvious point being that they didn't worship Jesus and embrace the doctine of the Christian Church. This is a common ploy used to keep the gullible under control, as it is taught in the context of: "THIS COULD HAPPEN TO YOU!!!") and this has saddled the Black American with "generational curses."
I spoke with a fellow student (and graduate of Rhema! Bible College in the Tulsa, OK area) at my college today, and I related that I had heard through news reports, etc., that Sarah Plain believed the world is five thousand years old and man walked with the dinosaurs, despite there being no scientific evidence to support her assertions. His response? "What's wrong with that?"
(Rhema! is a very influential Evangelical Charismatic church/organization that has influenced millions of people worldwide throughout the past 60 years or so with the ministry of Kenneth E Hagin, and his son, Kenneth W. Hagin)
This is indicative of the nonsense that is taught at Evangelical bible colleges throughout the United States.
And we were worried about madrases in Pakistan!?!
_________________________________________________________________
Those that tried to murder me and advocate the hate crimes against me and my family are devout evangelical Methodists. Samuel Christian Flanagin, Arkansas State Representative Pat Flanagin, Dora Hughes, Pat Flanagin, Jr., and their cohorts in and around the state of Arkansas continually invoke the name of Jesus to justify their crimes while referring to the victims of their hate as "niggers."
When Edward Abbey declared-"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the [US] flag and carrying a cross." He might have been envisioning the point in time we could be at today.
Clearly, Christian Fascism has to be defeated in the United States.
Clearly, people do not realize how large and deeply rooted the problem is.
This is still the Klan operating, albeit sanitized, and it is running strong in the white Evangelical church in the United States.
Clearly, we need a systemic change n the United States.
Peace-
Thursday, September 11, 2008
"Pull Yerself Up By Yer Bootstraps!"
So I'm watching CNN and they throw a story out there about a young Lady, Natalie Dylan (pictured). She is a student in So. Cal., and she needs money for college. So what's her plan? She going to auction off her virginity! I wonder how that plays to the far-right bootstrap wearing bible thumpin christian? You already know that answer to that. They will be quick to condemn her as a whore, and all the while deny money for education.
It is past time that we have free higher education in the US. To have to mortgage your future like buying a house to get an education, or to have to sell your body is a stinging indictment to our christian capitalist system.
Time for a change.
It is a sorry state of affairs when a woman has to sell her body to get an education. We need real change in the US. Enough of this capitalistic nightmare.
Natalie references capitalism in her interview, stating,"we live in a capitalist society, why shouldn't I be able capitalize on my virginity?" Good question. I think I'm going to capitalize on one of my kidneys. Anyone have 50 grand?
Let's get something new started in the U.S. Revolution!
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